What form of Calcium and Magnesium should I look for in a supplement?

There are two different types of minerals our body needs: macro-minerals and trace minerals

  • Macrominerals: Sodium, Chloride, Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sulfur
  • Trace minerals: Iron, Zinc, Iodine, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Fluoride, Chromium, Molydenum

Benefits of minerals

  • Macrominerals such as calcium and magnesium is important for healthy bones, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and immune system health.
  • Trace minerals such as Zinc, Copper, Manganese are part of many enzymes in the body.
  • Iron is part of hemoglobin found in red blood cells and are needed for energy.
  • Selenium is a powerful antioxidant.
  • Chromium works closely with insulin to regulate blood sugar levels

Generally, our body needs large amounts of macrominerals, and small amounts of trace minerals.

Macrominerals calcium and magnesium is included in multivitamins because additional calcium and magnesium may provide additional benefits, and the average diet may not have adequate amounts of magnesium and calcium

Calcium

There are many forms of calcium used in supplements and other products:

  • Natural coral calcium (mixture of calcium carbonate and other trace minerals)
  • Calcium carbonate (40% elemental calcium)
  • Dicalcium malate (29% elemental calcium)
  • Calcium amino chelate (26% elemental calcium)
    Calcium citrate malate (26% elemental calcium)
  • Calcium citrate (21% elemental calcium)
  • Calcium Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite “MCHC” (20% elemental calcum
  • Calcium amino acid chelate (18% elemental calcium)
  • Calcium lactate (15% elemental calcium)
  • Calcium ascorbate “buffered Vitamin C” (10% elemental calcium)
  • Calcium gluconate (9% elemental calcium)

The two most commonly used forms of calcium in supplements are calcium carbonate (the most inexpensive form of calcium) and calcium citrate.

  • Calcium carbonate is the most inexpensive form of calcium. Although it has the highest calcium content at 40%, it is poorly absorbed, especially with people with an insufficient output of stomach acid. It has an antacid effect and is an effective ingredient for antacids, but is not the best absorbed form of Calcium, if you are looking for a calcium supplement.
  • Natural coral calcium is primarily composed of calcium carbonate and small amounts trace mineral. Coral calcium is derived from coral sand deposits. Coral calcium is purported to provide additional health benefits, however since it is essentially calcium carbonate, it may not be well absorbed as other forms of calcium.
  • Calcium citrate is bulkier than calcium carbonate so it has lower calcium content at 21% It is better absorbed than calcium carbonate, but may require a higher quantity to achieve the same dose as calcium carbonate.

The most bioavailable forms of supplemental calcium are calcium amino acid chelate (calcium bisglycinate chelate) and dicalcium malate which are both better in absorption than calcium carbonate and calcium citrate.

  • Of the highly bioavailable forms of calcium, dicalcium malate has the highest concentration of calcium meaning less ingredient is needed to produce optimal results.
  • Dicalcium malate is similar but different to calcium malate. They both are calcium bonded to malic acid. The difference is that dicalcium malate contains 2 mols of calcium to 1 mol of malic acid, while calcium malate is 1:1.
  • The bond between calcium and malic acid in dicalcium malate is a weak ionic bond, which means it is easily broken and soluble in the body.
  • While broken down and absorbed, malic acid is used by the body to support of cellular energy production (Krebs Cycle) and chelation of heavy metals.
Half Life of Different Calcium Preparations After Absorption

In a study conducted by Albion Advanced Nutrition, they found that dicalcium malate to be superior than calcium carbonate.

Based on the study, the hierarchy of calcium is as follows:

calcium carbonate < calcium citrate < calcium amino acid chelate < dicalcium malate

Magnesium

Just like calcium there are many, forms of magnesium used in supplements and other products:

  • Magnesium oxide (60% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium carbonate (42% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium hydroxide “milk of magnesia” (42% elemental magnesium)
  • Dimagnesium malate (19% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium citrate (16% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium chloride (12% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium lactate magnesium (12% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium aspartate HCl (10% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium sulfate “Epsom salt” (10% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium malate (6.5% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium ascorbate “buffered Vitamin C” (6.5% elemental magnesium)
  • Magnesium gluconate (5% elemental magnesium)

The most common and most inexpensive form of magnesium is magnesium oxide. Although it has the highest concentration of elemental magnesium (60%) it is poorly absorbed.

Similar to how dicalcium malate has advantages over other forms of calcium, dimagnesium malate has similar advantages over other forms of magnesium:

  • Dimagnesium malate is bioavailable and absorbed more effectively in the body than other forms of magnesium
  • Dimagnesium malate is similar but different to magnesium malate. They both are magnesium bonded to malic acid. The difference is that dimagnesium malate contains 2 mols of magnesium to 1 mol of malic acid, while magneisum malate is 1:1.
  • The bond between magnesium and malic acid in dimagnesium malate is a weak ionic bond, which means it is easily broken and soluble in the body.
  • While broken down and absorbed, malic acid is used by the body to support of cellular energy production (Krebs Cycle) and chelation of heavy metals.

The dimetalhydroxy malate form of Calcium (dicalcium malate) and Magneisum (dimagnesium malate) are one of the best forms of Calcium and Magnesium to look for

You may not see these forms of calcium and magnesium, because only one company Albion Advanced Nutrition is supplies dicalcium malate and dimagnesium malate because Albion holds U.S. Patent No. 6,706,904 entitled “Dimetalhydroxy Malate.” The patent encompasses the composition of any dimetalhydroxy malates such as dicalcium malate and magnesium, as well as its method of production, and method of administration. Albion markets dicalcium malate under its registered trademark DimaCal® Albion doesn’t sell supplements to the general public. However, companies utilize patented ingredients from Albion in their supplements.

When it comes to supplement ingredients, Albion is the leading provider of chelated minerals, with over 50 years of research, and 150 patents. Albion continues to research and develop new products and technologies. It is more advantageous for supplement companies to utilize mineral ingredients from Albion than to develop their own, since Albion holds patents to some of the most superior forms of mineral chelates on the market.

dōTERRA’s multivitamin Microplex VMz utilizes dicalcium malate (DimaCal®) and dimagnesium malate forms of Calcium and magnesium

The primary source for calcium and magnesium in Microplex VMz are dicalcium malate and dimagnesium malate. Natural coral calcium is added for additional calcium and additional benefits. Buffered Vitamin C (calcium ascorbate and magnesium ascorbate) also provide a small additional amount of calcium and magnesium in Microplex VMz.

dōTERRA's multivitamin Microplex VMz utilizes dicalcium malate (DimaCal®) and dimagnesium malate forms of Calcium and magnesium

doTERRA’s multivitamin Microplex VMz provides 22 essential vitamin and minerals. Microplex VMz utilizes the most beneficial form of each vitamin and minerals.

I’ve written what ingredients or forms of nutrients to look for in a multivitamin or supplement in the following articles:

  • Reasons why 5-MTHF is the best form of folate
  • What are the benefits of taking fermented vitamins?
  • What form of Vitamin C should I look for?
  • What form of Vitamin A, D, E, and K should I look for?
  • What form of Calcium and Magnesium should I look for?
  • Reasons why mineral chelates are the best form of trace minerals

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